Sista utvägen- en kvalitativ studie om hur socialsekreterare kommer fram till förslag enligt LVU

Sammanfattning: Authors: Rebecka Werngren and Sofia Ekblom Title: The last way out. A qualitative study of how social workers reach a motion about compulsory institutional care for youth. [translated title] Supervisor: Claes Levin The purpose of this study has been to examine social workers opinion about compulsory institutional care for youths. The aim has been to recognize how professionals reach decisions about custodial care. Research shows that institutional placement not always gives the best result in practice; therefore social workers justification in decision making has been of interest in this essay as well as the identification of determining factors in the consideration of custodial care. We have also been interested in youths and parents possibility of participation in the decision making process concerning compulsory institutional care and if social workers have identified dilemmas in their work. Social workers have been interviewed and together with research the gathered information have been analyzed by the use of the theory of street-level bureaucracy. As a result of this study we have identified social workers to use custodial care as a last solution when no intervention can be accomplished of the client’s free will. We found that law and the social workers gained experience are two major influences in the decision making. As well, the interviewed social workers’ emphasized that they often discuss difficulties and concerns around their cases with one another at the workplace. The opinion of youths and parents was considered as of great importance in the decision making process. Altogether, how social workers reach decisions about compulsory institutional care for youths seems to be very individual. Our general conclusion is that compulsory institutional care requires careful consideration and should not to be used as system of problem solving. Key words: social workers, compulsory institutional care, institutional placement, youth Nyckelord: socialsekreterare, tvångsvård, institutionsplacering, ungdomar